Northern Ireland: Decommissioning

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Irish Republican Army's refusal to permit visible evidence of decommissioning is preventing the full implementation of the Belfast agreement; and whether they propose to set a deadline for such implementation.

Baroness Amos: The issue of transparency in decommissioning needs to be resolved for the political process in Northern Ireland to move forward. We do not believe it would advance matters to seek to impose deadlines.

Northern Ireland: Weapon Seizures

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any of the weaponry seized by the Police Service of Northern Ireland since 10 April 1998 is believed to have been manufactured after that date.

Baroness Amos: A variety of weapons have been recovered by the PSNI on a number of occasions since 1998. A number of different organisations were believed to be responsible for these weapons and some may have been manufactured since 10 April 1998.

Northern Ireland: Centre of Excellence for the Education of Children with Autism

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the centre of excellence for the education of children with autism in Middletown, County Armagh, which was endorsed by the North/South Ministerial Council on 11 April 2002 was envisaged as part of the Belfast agreement of 1998; and, if not, what is the basis for its inclusion as a cross-border activity.

Baroness Amos: The Belfast agreement of 1998 did not specifically envisage the centre of excellence for the education of children with autism, in Middletown, County Armagh. In accordance with paragraph 8 of Strand 2 of the agreement, the North/South Ministerial Council agreed on 1 December 1999 that education should be one of the six areas for co-operation. It also agreed that education for children with special needs (e.g. autism, hearing impairment) would be suitable for initial consideration in this sector.

Belfast: Taxis

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to permit taxis to use existing bus lanes in Belfast.

Baroness Amos: Belfast public hire taxis, and taxis operating under a Road Service licence, have been permitted to use most bus lanes in Belfast since June 2002. Motorcycles are currently permitted to use bus lanes on an experimental basis. It is not proposed that any changes will be introduced before the experimental scheme ends later this year, when Roads Service will consider permitting other taxis to use bus lanes.

Northern Ireland: Departmental Budgets

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 16 December 2004 (WA 102) concerning underspend by the Northern Ireland Department of Social Development, why there were delays in the commencement and uptake of grants in relation to European Union community initiatives such as Interreg III and Urban II; how much money is involved; and for what projects.

Baroness Amos: The process of engaging an implementer who would be close to the communities targeted by the department's Interreg IIIA measure took longer than anticipated. The sum of money involved was £467,000 and no specific projects were adversely affected.
	Weak community capacity giving rise to a lower volume of project application meant that the Urban II programme focusing on inner north Belfast did not spend as projected. The underspend against forecast was £316,000.
	In both cases the money was not lost to the programmes as the amount underspent was available in the next financial year.

Alcohol

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	On what grounds they rejected the advice of their scientific advisers that price and availability were the two main levers for reducing alcohol related harm, including crime and disorder.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: I responded to the noble Lord's previous Question on this issue on 15 December 2003. As I said in my reply, the draft analytical paper (which became the interim analytical review, published on 19 September 2003) on the harms associated with alcohol, was circulated by the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit to key stakeholders on a personal basis. The purpose of that process was to enable the Strategy Unit to draw on expert advice and reflect this in the final report. It is reasonable to expect the content of draft documents to change during this process, and the published interim analytical review represented the best assessment of the evidence available.

EU: Mutual Recognition of Expulsion Decisions

Lord Corbett of Castle Vale: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which European Union member states failed to meet the deadline of 2 December 2002 to transpose the directive on the mutual recognition of expulsion decisions.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Currently, four infringement procedures concerning the non-notification of national implementing measures of Directive 2001/40 are pending against France, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Hellenic Republic.
	The United Kingdom did not meet the deadline but did notify the Commission shortly after that the United Kingdom could give effect to the directive without any changes and set out the relevant legislative provisions.

British Nationality: Hong Kong

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many British citizenship applications have been refused under the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997 because the applicant did not meet the requirement of being solely British, broken down according to the other nationality they held.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: This information is not readily available and could be supplied only at a disproportionate cost.

Zimbabwe: Asylum Seekers

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their response to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' reiteration on 14 December of his recommendation, originally made in March 2002, that states suspend all removals of persons to Zimbabwe; and what is the fate of those who have been forcibly returned.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Asylum and human rights claims by Zimbabwean nationals are considered on their individual merits in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). As with any other nationality, Zimbabweans who meet the definition of a refugee in the 1951 convention are granted asylum. If they do not qualify for asylum, but there are other circumstances that make them particularly vulnerable and engage our obligations under the ECHR, they are granted humanitarian protection or discretionary leave. If their application is refused, they have a right of appeal to the independent appellate authorities. In this way we ensure that we provide protection to those Zimbabweans who need it.
	Each application is considered against the background of the latest available country information from a wide range of reliable sources, including international organisations, non-governmental organisations, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the media. Decisions are based on the specific circumstances of the individual concerned and, while we are aware of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' advice based on a general assessment of conditions in Zimbabwe, that does not mean that it would be unsafe for failed Zimbabwean asylum seekers to return to Zimbabwe. It is clear that there are Zimbabweans in need of international protection, and the asylum system will continue to provide that, but if an asylum and human rights claim is refused, and any appeal to the independent appellate authorities is unsuccessful, that means that it would be safe for that particular individual to return to Zimbabwe.
	Voluntary returns have continued throughout the period when enforced returns were temporarily suspended. There is no evidence to suggest that voluntary returnees or those whose return has been enforced since the suspension was ended have suffered any mistreatment on return.

Prison Inspections: Wakefield and Manchester

Lord Mason of Barnsley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What recent inspections have taken place at HM Wakefield and HM Manchester prisons.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Wakefield prison was last inspected by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons (HMCIP) between 13 and 17 October 2003. The report of that inspection was published on 25 March 2004. Manchester prison was last inspected by HMCIP between 5 and 9 July 2004. The report of that inspection was published on 16 November 2004.

Prison Inspections: Wakefield and Manchester

Lord Mason of Barnsley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When the last inspection at HM Wakefield prison took place which resulted in a report measuring the quality of prisoners' lives; what the key recommendations were; and what action has been taken.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: As part of the inspection of Wakefield in October 2003, the inspection team examined the conditions and treatment of prisoners, using their usual four tests of a healthy prison, which are safety, respect, purposeful activity and resettlement.
	The report of the inspection was published on 25 March 2004 and contained nine main recommendations along with a further 73 recommendations. Seventeen areas of good practice were identified. In line with the existing protocol, an action plan is in place to respond to the recommendations made by the inspection team.
	Many of the recommendations have been acted upon. These include the provision of adequate first night procedures, a new induction programme reduced to eight weeks, the use of handcuffs only where a risk assessment deems it appropriate, closed circuit television coverage and regular management checks in the segregation unit, staff interaction with prisoners increased and monitored, action to help aged or infirm prisoners, and physical education provision and facilities increased.

Prison Inspections: Wakefield and Manchester

Lord Mason of Barnsley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What were the results of audits of security standards in HM Wakefield and HM Manchester prisons; and whether they revealed the need to maintain the present high security standards and the full complement of prison staff at these prisons.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The result of the audit that took place at Manchester in September 2004 was 95 per cent compliance with the Prison Service security standard. The result of the audit that took place at Wakefield in June 2004 was 92 per cent compliance with the same standard. The audits measure compliance with a standard range of key mandatory security practices and processes. The target level for compliance in high security prisons is 90 per cent and any non-compliances found are addressed immediately through a mandatory action planning process. There are no grounds for reducing high security standards in either prison and the complement of staff will reflect this.

Criminal Cases Review Commission

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the undertaking given in 1997 by the then Home Secretary that the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) would be reviewed by the Home Office "at least every five years to examine critically both the justification for the body on policy grounds and its internal systems of financial management and control" (CCRC Management Statement paragraph 8.2) has been fulfilled; and, if so, when and with what conclusions.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: An interim review of the Criminal Cases Review Commission took place in January 2000. This review found no evidence to suggest that the CCRC was not managing its systems of control effectively, efficiently and economically. An assurance was provided to the departmental accounting officer that there were adequate and effective mechanisms in place for achieving good governance. The commission's accounting officer has also provided annual statements of systems assurance.
	For small NDPBs like the Criminal Cases Review Commission, there is no longer a requirement to undertake reviews every five years, nor is a minimum period stipulated. The Cabinet Office has issued new guidance for departments on how to conduct reviews. These vary according to the size and remit of the NDPB concerned but generally will aim to ensure that the NDPB is delivering high quality services efficiently and effectively and fits appropriately into the department's overall delivery structure.
	We are satisfied that the retention of the CCRC is justified and that the internal systems are satisfactory. The Home Office Select Committee is also satisfied that the CCRC is an effective organisation.
	The management statement and financial memorandum are currently being reviewed and re-drafted and new versions will be published soon. These will reflect the new arrangements for reviews and will also incorporate other changes and amendments which have taken place in respect of the management and governance of NDPBs.

Criminal Cases Review Commission

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they consider that the Criminal Cases Review Commission is successfully fulfilling its remit; and in particular whether the time taken for it to process claims is satisfactory.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Government believe that the Criminal Cases Review Commission is successfully fulfilling its remit as an independent body investigating miscarriages of criminal justice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The commission has won the confidence of its stakeholders and built a solid reputation for its impartiality and thoroughness.
	In 80 per cent of cases the time taken to process applications is within weeks and is therefore satisfactory. The remaining cases are complex and require considerable case worker effort to complete, and the number of accumulated cases in this category means that the waiting times are longer than we would like. This is why the commission's priority is to reduce the remaining case accumulation.

HM Chief Inspectors of Prisons

Lord Acton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will list HM Chief Inspectors of Prisons and their terms of office.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Since the office of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons was established in its current statutory form, the postholders have been as follows:
	
		
			  
			 Mr William Pearce 1981–82 
			 Sir James Hennessey 1982–87 
			 Sir Stephen Tumim 1987–95 
			 Sir David Ramsbotham 1995–01 
		
	
	The post is currently held by Anne Owers, CBE, who was appointed from 1 August 2001 for a term of five years.
	A copy of the full terms of reference for HM Chief Inspector of Prisons is in the Library of the House.

Ministry of Defence: Manpower

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the planned average number of whole-time equivalent service and civilian persons employed by the Ministry of Defence in each of the next three years.

Lord Bach: I refer the noble Lord to the Ministry of Defence report The Government's Expenditure Plans 2004–05—2005–06, copies of which are in the Library of the House. Table five of the report, on page 23, sets out the number of military staff currently employed within the Ministry of Defence and projected figures for the years 2004–05 and 2005–2006.
	The MoD has not produced civilian manpower forecasts since introducing the new definition of civilian manpower at the end of July 2004. Forecasts of civilian staff numbers against the previous definition are also included in table five of the The Government's Expenditure Plans 2004–05—2005–06.
	The White Paper published in July 2004, Delivering Security in a Changing World, sets out in paragraph 3.6, on page 12, the levels of manpower reductions that are expected and gives an indication of future manpower numbers within the Ministry of Defence. Details on how these reductions will be achieved for the RAF, including a redundancy package, were announced by my right honourable friend the Minister of State for Armed Forces on 9 December 2004 in another place and the requirement for limited redundancy in the Army by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 16 December 2004 in another place. However, further work is required before exact details of the planned drawdowns are finalised. This work is being carried out as part of the department's normal annual planning process which is currently under-way.

Armed Forces: Equal Opportunities Investigation

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is an equal opportunities investigation; who sits on such an investigation; and what powers it has.

Lord Bach: An equal opportunities investigation is an investigation into a complaint of bullying, harassment or discrimination made under the Armed Forces' formal complaints procedures. Investigations are normally commissioned by commanding officers when a formal complaint is made or by a higher authority if the complaint is against the commanding officer.
	In most cases complaints are investigated by a team composed of personnel within the unit who are not in the same department or in any of the parties concerned in the complaint and who will be viewed as impartial by the parties, and who have received equal opportunities training.
	An investigation team is nominated by the commanding officer or the authority handling the complaint, and commissioned to investigate the allegations made in the complaint. It has authority to interview the parties concerned and any witnesses, and report its findings. The aim of the investigation is to enable the commissioning authority to reach a decision on the complaint and to determine what action to take.

Gulf War Illnesses

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their response to the findings and recommendations of the September 2004 report Scientific Progress in Understanding Gulf War Illnesses, prepared for the United States Secretary for Veteran Affairs by the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War illnesses.

Lord Bach: The Government's response to the report of the United States Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War veterans' illnesses was set out in another place by my honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence and Minister for Veterans on 6 December 2004 (Official Report, col. 341W), and in my response to the Unstarred Question tabled by the noble Lord for Answer on 21 December 2004 (Official Report, col. 1737).

Army Restructuring: Uniforms

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether funds have been set aside to cover expenses that will be incurred in the change of uniform and regimental embellishments by officers and senior non-commissioned officers in infantry regiments and bands affected by the implementation of the future army plan.

Lord Bach: The Ministry of Defence is still working through all of the consequences of recent announcements on the reorganisation of the infantry, including the implications for changes to uniforms and regimental embellishments. Consideration is already being given to amending contracts with clothing suppliers to ensure current stock levels are reduced in a timely manner. It is anticipated that overall costs should be modest and will be absorbed into in-year budgets as they occur.

Iraq: Cost of Military Intervention

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the net additional costs of deploying United Kingdom Armed Forces to Iraq and supporting and sustaining them there will be met from the central reserve for so long as it is necessary to continue such deployment.

Lord Bach: Funding for the additional costs of maintaining UK forces in Iraq will continue to be met from outside the core defence budget.

Aircraft Carriers

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Who is the senior responsible owner for the new aircraft carrier project.

Lord Bach: The senior responsible owner for Carrier strike capability is Rear-Admiral N C F Guild. As SRO for carrier strike he is not only responsible for the new aircraft carrier programme but has wider responsibility for the joint expeditionary air capability represented by joint combat aircraft and for the associated enabling systems.

Aircraft Carriers

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What factors would need to be taken into account in decisions to extend the decommissioning date of HMS "Invincible" from 2010 to 2015 and that of HMS "Illustrious" from 2012 to 2017.

Lord Bach: There are currently no plans to extend the service lives of any of the Invincible class aircraft carriers (CVS) beyond those scheduled. However, in considering the possibility of extending the service life of any ship a number of factors would need to be taken into account. These include certification (fire safety, stability and hull structural strength) of the ship concerned, legislative compliance, general engineering issues (e.g. the viability of extending the life of ship systems), risk and cost.

School Improvement Partners

The Earl of Listowel: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How they intend to ensure that their proposed school improvement partners have expertise relevant to the particular educational needs of children in local authority care.

Lord Filkin: School improvement partners (SIPs) will be selected for their ability to analyse school performance and to help schools to improve. Within the framework of Every Child Matters they will help schools map out their future priorities for improvement, looking particularly at the attainment and progress of groups of pupils, including vulnerable pupils, such as children in local authority care. We expect SIPs to be serving and recent head teachers or other professionals with relevant experience who have met accreditation standards. Quality assurance of SIPs will be rigorous and they will be accredited only after they have successfully completed their training.

Fuel-related Fraud

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 21 December 2004 (WA 140), what evidence, if any, they have of diesel fuel-related fraud, organised crime or poor security among rail freight operators; and, if there is such evidence, what action they have taken to bring it to the notice of the operators concerned.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: At present Customs have no evidence of organised crime or serious fuel related fraud among rail operators. There are examples of poor security in some instances. Customs are working with those operators and British Transport Police to minimise opportunities for fraud.

Terrorism: Financial Services

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What amount of personal assets is at present frozen on grounds of connection with or ownership by terrorist suspects.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: Forty-five accounts, totalling some £378,000.00, are currently frozen by UK financial institutions. All organisations and individuals whose assets have been frozen in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions, associated EC regulations and domestic legislation are listed, by HM Treasury instruction, on the Bank of England's financial sanctions website.

World War Debts to US

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much the United Kingdom owes to the government of the United States as a result of the First World War and the Second World War respectively; when the most recent payments were made; and what are the arrangements for repayment.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: On First World War debt due to the United States Government, I refer the noble Lord to the Answers I gave to him on 17 July 2002 (col. WA 159), 30 July 2002 (col. WA 161) 25 October 2002 (col. WA 103–4) and 11 July 2003 (col. WA 66). On Second World War debt due to the United States Government, I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave to him on 27 May 2002 (col. WA 127), January 2003 (col. WA 73) and 11 July 2003 (col. WA 66).
	As at 1 January 2005 principal of 84 million dollars (£43.5 million at the exchange rate on that day) was outstanding on the loans provided by the United States Government in 1945. The most recent repayments were made on 31 December 2004. There remain two more scheduled repayments of interest and principal sums of 142 million dollars in December 2005 million and 83 million dollars in December 2006 that relate to previously deferred interest and principal payments.

Trade Deficit

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action they propose to take to reduce the visible trade deficit.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The most relevant measure of the UK trade deficit is not the absolute figure, but the deficit as a percentage of GDP.
	The UK trade deficit was 2.9 per cent of GDP in 2003, below the 4.1 per cent of GDP seen in 1989. The current account deficit was 1.7 per cent of GDP in the same period, less than half the peak of 5.1 per cent of GDP in 1989. The Government are committed to free trade and fighting trade protectionism and have put in place a range of measures aimed at boosting productivity and competitiveness. This is the best way to ensure that the UK economy is equipped to meet the challenges and exploit the opportunities of the global economy.

Stamp Duty

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In relation to the estimated overall shortfalls in stamp duty receipts of £0.6 billion in 2004–05 and £0.9 billion in 2005–06 set out in Table B12 of the Pre-Budget Report, what is the breakdown of those (shortfalls between)
	(a) stamp duty receipts on residential property transactions;
	(b) stamp duty receipts on commercial property transactions; and
	(c) stamp duty receipts on transactions in shares.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The following table gives the differences between the Budget 2004 and Pre Budget 2004 forecasts for stamp taxes receipts:
	
		£ billion
		
			 Stamp Taxes on: 2004–05 2005–06 
			 Land and Property (Stamp Duty Land   Tax) 0.0 –0.3 
			 Shares –0.6 –0.6 
			 Total –0.6 –0.9 
		
	
	No reliable further breakdown of the land and property forecast is available.

Stamp Duty

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In relation to paragraph 55 of Annexe B of the Pre-Budget Report, what were the total stamp duty receipts from residential property transactions in the first seven months of 2004–05; on what total number of residential property transactions these receipts were based; and what were the comparable figures for the first seven months of 2003–04.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The table below gives an estimate of the number of UK property transactions and an estimate of UK receipts from stamp duty on land and property transactions between April and October 2003 and between April and October 2004.
	
		
			  Number of transactions (millions) Stamp duty receipts on land and property (£bn) 
			 April—October 2003 0.9 2.8 
			 April—October 2004 1.2 3.9 
		
	
	No reliable further breakdown of the land and property receipts is currently available for either period.

Psychiatric Hospitals: Non-NHS Providers

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many places in private psychiatric hospitals are currently used by the Government, broken down into categories of secure, medium secure, low secure and open respectively and showing the current average weekly cost of a place in each category, and the overall average weekly cost of each place.

Lord Warner: Information on the number of places in private psychiatric hospitals commissioned by the National Health Service is not collected centrally.
	Information on the numbers of occupied bed days incurred by subcontracting activity to, or directly commissioning activity from, non-NHS providers is shown in the tables. The tables also contain information on the national average cost per occupied bed day and a calculated national average cost per week (seven days) for all categories that were reported for mental health inpatient services.
	
		National Schedule of Reference Costs—Non-NHS Providers: Contracted and Commissioned Combined Mental Health -- Services Data
		
			 ServiceCode Mental Health Services : Inpatient Data Number of Occupied Bed days National Average Unit cost per OBD £ Calculated National Average UnitCost per Week£ 
			 MHIPC1 Children 6,248 486 3,401 
			  Adult
			 MHIPA1 –Intensive Care 12,686 470 3,289 
			 MHIPA2 –Acute Care 84,379 258 1,809 
			 MHIPA3 –Rehabilitation 
			  41,014 185 1,293 
			 MHIPE1 Elderly 18,578 149 1,044 
		
	
	
		
			 ServiceCode Mental Health Services : Secure Unit Data Number of Occupied Bed days National Average UnitCost£ Calculated National Average Unit Costper Week£ 
			 ScU1 Local Psychiatric Intensive Care Units 
			  261 659 4,610 
			 ScU2 Low Level Secure Services 
			  20,726 399 2,791 
			 ScU3 Medium Level Secure Services: 
			  19,442 420 2,943 
			 ScU41 High Dependency Secure Provision: Women's Services 
			  686 632 4,424 
			 ScU42 High Dependency Secure Provision: Mental Health/ Psychosis 
			  427 784 5,486 
			 ScU43 High Dependency Secure Provision: Learning Disabilities 
			  7,346 391 2,734 
		
	
	
		
			 ServiceCode Mental Health Services: Specialist Services Inpatient Data Number of Occupied Bed Days National Average Unit Cost£ Calculated National Average Unit Cost per Week£ 
			 MHIPAS Autistic Spectrum Disorder 
			  876 431 3,018 
			 MHIPEDA Eating Disorder Services: Adults 
			  3,755 374 2,616 
			 MHIPEDC Eating Disorder Services : Children 
			  1,636 530 3,709 
			 MHIPMB Mother and Baby Units 
			  554 457 3,197 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The data source is Reference Costs 2003 which is based on data for the financial year 2002–03. Data for 2003–04 are not yet available.
	2. The data are based on submissions from NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England.
	3. The data refer to non-NHS providers, rather than private providers.
	4. Tables include all the categories that were reported for mental health inpatient services.

Cancer and Heart Disease: Survival Rates

Lord Tebbit: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they attribute the increase in survival rates for persons suffering from cancer and heart disease to any of their policies; and, if so, to which policy.

Lord Warner: Policies such as Smoking Kills (1998), Our Healthier Nation (1999), the NHS Cancer Plan (2000), and the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease (2000) along with the many initiatives that support them have resulted in substantial progress in the improvement of services for patients with heart disease and cancer. These policies have contributed, and will go on contributing, to improved survival, better outcomes and reduced mortality in heart disease and cancer, of 27 per cent for coronary heart disease and 12.2 per cent for cancer since 1996-97.

Foot and Mouth Disease

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Statement by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 13 December (HC Deb, 113WS), if "the eye-witness evidence, collected meticulously by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Institute for Animal Health and local authority officials who were actually present on the farm at the time (February 2001) should be considered paramount", why Ministers did not become aware of that evidence until after the showing of the video made by Northumberland County Council at Robert Waugh's trial in May 2002.

Lord Whitty: The evidence collected by experts from the Institute for Animal Health and officials from Defra and Northumberland County Council is reflected in the Origins of the UK Foot and Mouth Disease epidemic in 2001 report produced by the Chief Veterinary Officer. This report was sent to the FMD 2001: Lessons to be Learned Inquiry chaired by Dr Anderson, before the trial of Robert Waugh and is available on the Defra website.

Foot and Mouth Disease

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Statement by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 13 December (HC Deb, 113WS), why "it is not possible to identify with certainty" whether sheep carcasses were to be found on Burnside Farm, given that two department officials were present at the time of the making of the video by Northumberland County Council on 24 and 27 February 2001.

Lord Whitty: It is not possible to identify with certainty from the video whether any sheep carcass was present on the farm. No Defra or Northumberland County Council official found any such carcasses on the farm.

Foot and Mouth Disease

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Statement by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 13 December (HC Deb, 113WS), and given the trial date of Robert Waugh in May 2002, why the department did not consider it necessary to obtain copies of the Northumberland County Council video of Burnside Farm, made in February 2001, until February 2003.

Lord Whitty: An official first requested a copy of the video at the time of the trial. Eye witnesses of the conditions at Burnside Farm contributed to the Defra origins report provided to the FMD 2001 Lessons to be Learned inquiry, chaired by Dr Anderson.

Foot and Mouth Disease

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Statement by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 13 December (HC Deb, 113WS), whether the swill feed supplied to Burnside Farm was the cause of the foot-and-mouth outbreak in 2001; and, if so, whether they have ascertained the source of that supply.

Lord Whitty: All possible means for the introduction of FMD into Burnside Farm have been investigated. Investigations have shown no evidence that disease was introduced to the farm by animals, people, vehicles, equipment, vermin, wildlife etc. There was no evidence of disease on premises within three kilometres of Burnside Farm which predates that found there.
	Having investigated and eliminated all other possible sources of infection, Defra has concluded that the likeliest source of infection for the pigs at Burnside farm was meat or meat products containing or contaminated with FMD virus and that the virus could have been introduced to the pigs through the consumption of such material in unprocessed or inadequately processed waste food or the consumption of processed waste food contaminated with such material. The source of the material is unknown.

Warfarin

Earl Peel: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Whitty on 11 October (WA 42), what steps they will take to ensure that the anti-coagulant poison, warfarin, will be categorised within Annexe One of the European Union Plant Protection Directive.

Lord Whitty: This use of warfarin is being reviewed under the European Union Plant Protection Product Directive (Directive 91/414/EEC). A draft review report has been prepared by Ireland, which is the rapporteur member state. The European Commission is deliberating whether to propose the inclusion or non-inclusion of warfarin in Annex I.
	We have written to the Commission describing the way that warfarin is used in UK forestry and the measures that are taken to protect workers and wildlife. In meetings with the Commission and other member states we have made clear our view that warfarin can be used safely to control grey squirrels in woodlands and that we believe it should be included in Annex I.

Reprocessed Fuel Oil

Lord Sutherland of Houndwood: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the consequences for the environment of the restrictions placed upon the use of reprocessed fuel oil by the European Waste Incineration Directive.

Lord Whitty: Given that reprocessed fuel oil is produced from waste oil and remains waste until burnt as fuel, installations burning it have to be capable of complying with the stringent emission limits and other operating requirements specified in the Waste Incineration Directive (2000/76/EC) which are intended to prevent or limit as far as practicable negative effects on the environment from the incineration of waste.
	If operators of installations currently burning reprocessed fuel oil conclude that their installations do not meet those requirements, they have the option either of making improvements or of switching to a non-waste alternative fuel.
	If they opt to switch, their installations generally will be subject to regulation under the Pollution Prevention and Control (England and Wales) Regulations 2000 (or corresponding instruments in Scotland and Northern Ireland). Those regulations cover combustion installations with a rated thermal input of 20 megawatts or more and roadstone coating plants which are currently the main users of reprocessed fuel oil. The regulations require emission limits and other operating requirements to be set by the regulator for each installation based upon the application of best available techniques for pollution control and taking into account the technical characteristics of the installation, its location and the local environmental conditions.

Reprocessed Fuel Oil

Lord Sutherland of Houndwood: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has carried out an environmental impact assessment of the consequences of stopping the reprocessing of used oils.

Lord Whitty: There are no plans to prevent the processing of waste oil. The Government continue to monitor the decisions by current processors of waste oil in the light of the requirements of the Waste Incineration Directive.

Pesticides

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which pesticide approval holders did not respond to the Pesticide Safety Directorate's questionnaire on possible effects of pesticides on human health; and which product approvals have been suspended or revoked.

Lord Whitty: The following approval holders did not respond to the survey:
	Compo GmbH & Co KG SA
	Sinon EU Corporation
	Top Farm Formulations
	Marnoch Ventures Ltd
	Nissan Chemical Europe GmbH
	Quadrangle Agrochemicals
	Chemsearch NCH (UK) Ltd
	Indofil Chemicals Company
	Tomen France SA
	Elf Atochem Agri SA
	Atochem Agri BV
	Yule Catto Consumer Chemicals Ltd
	Unistar Ltd
	The following products have been suspended or revoked as a result of the survey:
	
		
			  
			 Clean-Up-360 (M05076) 
			 Floranid Lawn Feed withWeed killer (M11508) 
			 Glister (M11413) 
			 Glyphosate-360 (M05319) 
			 Marnoch Binoxy (M10622) 
			 Marnoch Carbadil 10 (M10338) 
			 Marnoch Chlorothalonil (M09763) 
			 Marnoch Clodim (M09852) 
			 Marnoch Glyphosate (M09744) 
			 Marnoch Kempo (M09918) 
			 Marnoch Mancym (M10130) 
			 Marnoch Metazachlor (M09761) 
			 Marnoch Penor D (M09871) 
			 Marnoch Phonet (M09979) 
			 Marnoch Phorm (M10773) 
			 Marnoch Vinol (M09815) 
			 Poseidon (M11040) 
			 Quadrangle Chlormequat 700 (M03401) 
			 Quadrangle Hinge (M08070) 
			 Systol M (M03480) 
			 Top Farm Carbendazim-435 (M05307) 
			 Top Farm Fluazinam (M07683) 
			 Top Farm Propyzamide 500 (M05484) 
			 Gro-Tard II (M04462) 
			 Manfil (M11093) 
			 Dequiman MZ (M06870) 
			 Triherbicide CIPC (M06426) 
			 Trimangol 80 (M06070) 
			 TWK Total Weedkiller (M06332) 
			 Unistar Glyphosate 360 (M05928) 
			 Unistar Glyphosate 360 (M06332) 
			 PP Captan 80 WG (M11006) 
			 PP Captan 83 (M08768)

Pesticides

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they propose to take any steps to require pesticide approval holders to submit all data relating to human adverse incidents since 1998 to the Pesticides Safety Directorate.

Lord Whitty: The Pesticides Safety Directorate will in future carry out yearly surveys of the potential human health effects of pesticides. We do not propose to collect information retrospectively prior to 2002.

Rural Payments Agency

Lord Jopling: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Whitty on 14 December (WA 81), what plans they have to increase the number of officials in the Rural Payments Agency who have a qualification in agriculture or related sciences above the current number of 308.

Lord Whitty: The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is an accredited Investor in People and is fully committed to supporting its staff in the development of agriculture or related science qualifications.
	RPA offers a broad range of skills-based training provided in-house and also supports further education undertaken externally by staff in agricultural and other subjects relevant to inspectorate work.
	In addition, during 2005 RPA plans to introduce two additional programmes for its inspectorate staff. These are:
	A formal vocational qualification in business skills for inspectors at NVQ Level 3;
	A BTEC professional diploma for EU-funded rural inspections in the UK.

Arable Land

Lord Rotherwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they will decide whether an area set in grass for more than five years will be classed as an arable area under the mid-term review.

Lord Whitty: This issue is dealt with in European Community legislation. Regulation (EC) No 796/2004 provides that land which is used to grow grass, and that is not included in the crop rotation of an agricultural holding for a period of five years or longer, is permanent pasture rather than arable land. However, if the land has been set aside under the old arable area payments scheme or the new single payment scheme during that period, it will be counted as arable land until it has been in grass for five years following the last year it was in set-aside.

Road Closures

Lord Vinson: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Health and Safety Executive has made a regulatory impact assessment of the policy of closing by-roads under repair to all traffic as a safety measure for those working on the road; and whether any such assessment included consideration of the length of the detour which motorists would need to make.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Decisions concerning maintenance works on local roads are the responsibility of the local highway authority. It must decide in each case the most appropriate way of carrying out any works, taking into account both the safety of the workforce and the safety of the public, for example, by providing safety clearances between working areas and traffic. Advice on a range of typical situations is provided in the Department's Traffic Signs Manual, chapter eight. Local authorities should carry out risk assessments for each situation. Other factors, including the disruption to traffic and bus services that may be caused by road closures or traffic restrictions, can be taken into account as part of that assessment when considering options for carrying out works.

Road Closures

Lord Vinson: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether a highway contractor has any legal authority to trap in their vehicles motorists who have inadvertently attempted to use a section of the highway closed to through traffic but still open for local access, when no repairs are being carried out at the time.

Lord Davies of Oldham: If it is necessary for a road to be closed or traffic restricted in order to carry out road works safely, the traffic authority should make a traffic order under Section 14 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to restrict or prohibit temporarily the use of the road. Under that section the authority must have regard to the existence of alternative routes suitable for the traffic which will be affected by the order. The enforcement of such orders is for the police.

Road Workers: Deaths and Injuries

Lord Vinson: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many workers repairing minor country roads have been injured or killed whilst carrying out their work in the past five years.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The information requested is not available.